Kishanganj assault video: SIT arrests prime accused, four others on the run
Bihar Police have arrested one of five identified accused in a viral assault video from Kishanganj, with four others believed to have fled to other states.
A Special Investigation Team in Kishanganj has arrested the prime accused in the assault of a young woman, footage of which surfaced on social media earlier this week. Four other identified accused are believed to have left the state.
According to the Kishanganj police, five people were identified from the video: Afsar alias Tajemul, Zubair Khan, Mizan alias Salman, Kamil and Shahzad, all residents of nearby villages. Shahzad, described as the main accused, has been taken into custody. Afsar is believed to be in Gujarat, Zubair Khan in Haryana, Mizan in Karnataka and Kamil in Punjab. Raids are under way to trace them, and police said they are verifying details of other suspects seen in the footage.
The video, received by the police late on September 24, shows a group of youths stopping a young man and woman on a motorcycle and misbehaving with them. The woman's hand is forcibly grabbed and she is assaulted, while one of the accused is heard questioning her about travelling with a Hindu friend.
Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar visited the spot with a police team and directed that action against those responsible be expedited. The incident occurred near Tulsiya Halt Railway Station, under Dighalbank police station limits.
Police said a review of the footage indicated that eight to nine youths had surrounded the woman, with four or five of them shouting at and physically assaulting her. Investigators believe the video is four to five months old and that the incident likely took place in May.
The woman has been identified. During questioning, she said she had gone to the railway station to meet a male friend when youths from nearby villages spotted her and began harassing and assaulting her, questioning how she could have a Hindu friend. The investigation also revealed that a village-level panchayat had earlier been convened by the Mukhiya over the matter and that the dispute had been settled locally.
A case has nonetheless been registered on the basis of the woman's statement. The SIT, led by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer-02 in Kishanganj, has been asked to identify and arrest everyone involved.
The case is the latest in a series of harassment and molestation incidents reported from Bihar within a week, including cases in Jamui, Banka and two in Samastipur. The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has been attacking the state government over the viral videos and molestation cases, alleging that law and order in Bihar has collapsed.